Welcome!
The mission of PEARL (Possibility Engineering and Research Lab) is to conceptualize, develop, and evaluate innovative technologies that create possibilities for young people with disabilities to participate more meaningfully in arts, music, physical activities, and therapies.
Our team works extensively in the development of virtual reality therapies and in the creation of interactive play spaces that are accessible to young people of all abilities in healthcare environments.
Directed by Dr. Elaine Biddiss, PEARL is highly interdisciplinary and applies a user-centred, participatory design approach to ensure the needs of key stakeholders (children, families, and clinicians) are met. The core values underlying our research endeavours are: innovation, clinical impact, evaluation, and translation.
What's new in PEARL?
2023
January
Sorsha Asady, an MASc student in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto, joins the PEARL Lab. Welcome!
2022
November
Congratulations Dr. Elaine Biddiss on being named the new Bloorview Childrens Hospital Foundation Chair in Pediatric Rehabilitation! Through this Hospital-University of Toronto endowed named Chair, Dr. Biddiss’ five-year plan to address opportunity gaps for children with disabilities in rehabilitation through the co-creation, evaluation and translation of low-cost technologies aligns perfectly with our research enterprise’s three key pillars: personalize pathways, discover for action, and connect the system.
October
Dr. Ilana Naiman (PhD, RKin) joins the PEARL Lab as a Postdoctoral Fellow. Welcome!
2021
September
It's a month of welcome and celebration. Soowan Choi and Nikki Ponte, both Masters Students, joins the PEARL Lab! Welcome! We also bid farewell and congrats to our amazing *new* graduate alumni Danielle DuPlessis, Emily Lam and Brandon Rufino. Wishing you all the best and much success!
March
The BRITE Awards for Excellence highlights trainees and supervisors who go above and beyond in BRI's community of research trainees and scientists. Congrats to Brandon Rufino for receiving the BRITE Award for Excellence in Peer Mentorship and to Daniela Chan-Viquez for receiving the BRITE Award for Excellence in Research Collaborations!
2020
July
An exciting Summer so far for our hard working, ambitious students: Masters student Brandon Rufino is awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship and Masters student Danielle DuPlessis is awarded the Ontario Graduate Scholarship. A special shoutout to Marina Petrevska - who will be joining the Pearl Lab in September - is awarded the Kimel Family Graduate Student Scholarship in Pediatric Disability Research. Congrats Brandon, Danielle and Marina! It's a rockin' 2020 for the Pearl Lab.
May
Sunaal Mathew, Masters Student and Jason Zhang, Summer Volunteer joins the PEARL Lab! Welcome!
April
Masters student Emily Lam is awarded the Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship from CIHR! The Canada Graduate Scholarships are intended to support students pursuing a masters degree and have exceptionally high potential in future research and productivity. Congrats Emily!
2019
December
Alex MacIntosh successfully defends his PhD!
November
At Bloorview Research Institute's 14th Annual Research Symposium, Elaine Biddiss wins Best Supervisor Award! Daniela Chan-Viquez and Danielle DuPlessis receives Graduate Student Awards! Congrats to all!
2017
May
Canadian jazz artist Chris Donnelly joins PEARL lab on a six-month residency
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